


The Sixth Love Language

by Polarnacht



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, Angst, Blood Drinking, Blood Kink, Canon-Typical Violence, Falling In Love, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Mention of Animal Death, Mind Manipulation, Mundane Jace Wayland - Freeform, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Oral Sex, Polyamory, Rough Sex, Threesome - M/M/M, Vampire Alec Lightwood, Vampire Bites, Vampire Magnus Bane, Vampire Sex, reverse fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:47:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25762354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polarnacht/pseuds/Polarnacht
Summary: Jace meets Alec and Magnus at their bar Pandemonium, realizing astonished that they are not what they pretend to be: They are not regular humans but Vampires. Jace feels instantly drawn to their world full of shadows and blood - and them. They spend a hot night together that could be the beginning of more, if not Alec’s last words to Jace were ones that make Jace forget the night, Vampires, and them…A story about falling in love - or avoiding it -  in the crossfire of Shadow World politics and a Vampire clan war.
Relationships: Alec Lightwood/Jace Wayland, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood/Jace Wayland, Magnus Bane/Jace Wayland
Comments: 34
Kudos: 100
Collections: Hunter's Moon Creation Exchange





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Miss_Shiva_Adler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Shiva_Adler/gifts).



> Hey Shiva,  
> I was so excited when I got your name in the exchange!! And then I got nervous 😉 It's been my first time writing a reverse fic, so I really hope you'll like it! I truly enjoyed creating this for you! Thank you for always supporting me! This is for you 💙💙💙
> 
> The beautiful art is made by the amazing Miss_Shiva_Adler, thank you so much for it!

Jace grew up with only his father as a parental figure. His father raised him the only way he knew how: with strict discipline, high demands and corporal punishment for every tiny failure. Valentine taught him to fight, to obey, to be strong so that he would become invincible. One of the most severe lessons was not to love - as love destroyed. Ever since Valentine's wife and Jace's mother had left to run away with Valentine's best friend when Jace had been barely a toddler, Valentine had stopped believing in love but started to loath it. Love was dangerous. Love made you vulnerable. Love made you breakable. So Valentine made sure to never truly love again. Not another woman, not his son.

This kind of upbringing also had its perks. Jace grew to be a strong, independent boy who was not afraid of many things. He had learned early to expect the worst and be surprised by even worse. And no matter what came, he had learned to cope with it in a fashion his father approved of. Despite everything, his father’s approval meant something to Jace. The rare occasions Valentine showed something akin to affection, Jace soaked it up like a sponge, a warmness jolting through his body he rarely felt. Jace was not sure if this was love. Or if love were the punishments he got because they made him stronger, better. He knew his father opposed the concept, yet both together felt a lot like it – but Jace was not sure what love truly meant anyway. He had read books about love, literature, cheap romances and nonfiction. But all seemed to lack the only love he knew. The dark side of it. The blood and the pain. The sixth love language was never even mentioned.

When his father died, his life took a turn for the worse. He was tossed in the foster system, passed on from family to family but never finding a real home. The lessons he learned there were memorable and repetitive. The only person he truly could trust was himself, just as his father had always told him.

He didn’t mind being alone that much. Sometimes, though, he missed his father. He had been his family, the only one he had ever known and probably would ever get – he didn’t plan to start one of his own. He didn’t plan to love. He would make his father proud and live up to his expectations to be strong, independent and invincible. His 18th birthday was a relief, finally being allowed to live his life on his own.

From time to time Jace missed a connection. Living alone with no strings attached made you unbreakable, but it also made you lonely. If the loneliness got too existential, he searched for a connection in the only way he knew: through a casual hookup or a fight. He had learned early that his body was a weapon. A little later he had learned that he could use his body not only to cause and bring pain, but also to gain pleasure.

When an opportunity for a fight came around, Jace was never one to say no. He longed too much for the adrenaline to run through his veins, making his muscles flex in anticipation, making him feel alive. He was a skilled fighter, he knew his strengths – and his limits. But sometimes he just liked to push past them. So when a tall guy in the bar Jace just had entered didn’t shut up and annoyed Jace, he just couldn’t resist. He talked back, though he knew it was not the best idea to start a fight in a fancy bar with a guy who was not only a couple of years older, but also taller and more muscular than him. But Jace also didn’t care too much. He had never been afraid of pain.

He was prepared for the fist to come, yet it came much quicker than he had expected. He had barely seen the man move. He clearly wasn’t prepared for what happened next. The fist connected with his nose and small drops of blood flew through the room. The guy next to him got something on his face, even his mouth. Instead of being appalled, the man hissed in approval and licked greedily over his lips.

Jace staggered backwards and blinked. He spat out some blood before he started to laugh. The scene in front of him was surreal. A circle had formed around him, men and women stared at him with huge, hungry eyes. Yet they were not humans. They were Vampires. Jace was sure about that out of a sudden, though his brain wanted to supply not very helpfully that Vampires were just stories and legends.

But he remembered now when he had seen Vampires for the very first time. He had been around 10 and had gone looking for his father, as Valentine had been missing the whole day and half the night and Jace had just been hungry. He had found Valentine in a shady bar. And there they had been: men and women that weren’t quite what they pretended to be. When one had watched closely enough one had noticed that they hadn’t breathed, at least not as regularly as a human needed to. It had looked more like faked breathing to appear normal but forgetting it from time to time. Their teeth had been sharper, especially when looking at their prey.

10-year-old Jace had stood rooted to the spot, watching very closely what had been unfolding before his eyes, not quite believing it. Vampires were legends like fairy tales. But for being just a story, they had been astonishingly alive. His father had been furious to be interrupted, and even more furious when Jace had asked him about the Vampires. As detailed as Jace remembered his first encounter, he remembered the beating he had gotten afterwards. With each slap and each punch it had been easier to forget what he had seen.

After the first incident he had seen other things. Dogs that looked more like wolves, small creatures in the park that he had never noticed before, strange women and men with signs on their bodies that looked only like tattoos at first glance.

He had dared to bring it up one more time, but after that, he had kept what he had seen to himself. He even had his mind tricked into believing that he had imagined everything. He had forced himself to unsee and so it was the first time in a very long time that he actually saw Vampires. His timing could be better though, given that he bled all over the floor.

With the back of his hand he wiped away the blood on his face. At least, the nose was not broken. His lip was bruised, it had already started to swell a little. The circle around him drew closer.

“What is going on here?”

The sharp voice of a tall, dark haired man rang through the room. Not man, Vampire, Jace corrected himself. The way he hold himself - upright, straight back, his feet hip width apart - suggested one thing. He was used to rule. He was used to be followed. Jace had seen him before. He had been sitting with another man in one small corner of the bar. There had been a tenderness between them which Jace had not been able to avoid noticing. They had touched each other, kissed each other. And Jace had looked at them with a hunger in his eyes he had not been aware he carried.

The tall man stepped in the circle towards him with a cocked eyebrow. He watched Jace intently and when the scent of fresh blood hit him, he made a low sound in the back of his throat that Jace nearly missed. But Jace didn’t miss it and a smug smile spread over his face.

Even though the attention of the tall man was still on Jace, he clearly expected an answer.

“Alec, come on man. He begged for it. Let us have some fun.”

Alec twirled around to face the Vampire who had spoken, his eyes a gleaming red.

“What do you not understand in ‘Don’t mess with humans’ Salvatore? Is this too difficult for you to understand? Or do you want one of the Shadowhunters sticking their nose in our business? Do you want to get into trouble? Tell, me Salvatore. Do you?”

Salvatore shrank under Alec’s scrutinizing gaze. It seemed he didn’t.

“As I thought. Now back off, all off you. And you,” he swirled around to face Jace again, “you follow me.”

The furious gleam was replaced by something else, something more sparkly – but not less dangerous. Jace shivered lightly. Shortly he contemplated to refuse, just for the sake of it, but in the end it seemed better to follow one Vampire than to stay in a circle with many bloodthirsty Vampires. And even though he was reckless sometimes and couldn’t shut up, he knew how to survive.

Jace was dragged into the backroom of the bar. Alec held the door open and pushed Jace inside the relatively big room. Jace turned around to glare at him. The shift in the atmosphere was subtle but noticeable. Alec seemed to relax a little but lost nothing of his predatory demeanor. But Jace was also a predator. Jace opened his mouth and with a slow, lascivious gesture he licked over his plush lips, smirking when he saw hungry eyes following every move. His smugness increased hearing the low sound a second time when his tongue licked over his bruise. Alec stepped closer, his eyes never leaving Jace’s face.

The door opened again and the other man who had talked to Alec in the bar before slipped in silently. His eyes roamed over Jace with the same hungry expression, before a slight smile settled on his face.

“You shouldn’t play with your food, Alexander.”

Jace half huffed and half laughed. He locked eyes with the man who just had come in.

“Magnus.” Alec sounded baffled, but didn’t turn around. His attention stayed on Jace.

“Who says he is the one playing?” Jace said mockingly. This was a game he was used to play. A game he was good at. He remembered dark red spots against white snow, red drops against shiny mirrors. Blood had always been the price to pay.

He parted his lips slightly to suck in his bottom lip before he slowly bit down on the already bruised and swollen side until he tasted the metallic flavor of blood. Jace smiled wickedly at Alec when he bit down just a little harder to make the blood spill. He loved the power he held. He was in no doubt that these two Vampires could pin him to the wall without any problems, yet they seemed wax in his hands.

Alec hissed when he smelled the delicious scent of fresh blood – this fresh blood specifically, there was just something about it – and saw the small trickle of blood running down Jace’s face. He jumped forward and pulled Jace close with a bruising grip. He licked over Jace’s open lip, tasting the tempting flavor for the first time. The growl in his throat became louder before he kissed Jace, scraping lightly over his bruise with one of his fangs, savoring the taste, the hotness and the little moans Jace couldn’t help but make. The kiss was bruising, nearly punishing, just as Alec’s hold was.

Jace’s eyes had slid shut when the Vampire had started to kiss him but after a minute he opened them again. His eyes found Magnus and they just stared at each other, a challenging gleam in both their eyes, while Jace never stopped kissing Alec. Jace held out one hand and in a heartbeat Magnus was by their side. He wrapped one arm around Alec’s waist and pressed a kiss to his throat before he gripped Jace’s hair and pulled him towards himself. Alec just laughed, and guided Jace towards Magnus with a firm hand on his head, though Jace didn’t need convincing. He had wanted them both the moment he had seen them in the bar. Magnus nibbled on his lip lightly before he bit down on the other, not yet bruised side. Jace gasped surprised and Magnus chuckled, before their tongues started to explore the other.

“Let’s play somewhere else sweetheart,” Magnus said breathlessly while pulling away, even though he didn’t need to breathe.

“It’s Jace. I’m not your sweetheart.”

Magnus chuckled again. “Let’s see about that.“


	2. Chapter 2

Jace was half pushed and half dragged to the apartment that lay above the fancy bar. It was astonishing, now that he saw the Vampires, he saw so much more. Above the bar, Pandemonium, was not only one apartment, but a complete complex with several apartments, a joint common room and a large entrance hall. Not that he was that interested in his surroundings. He was too busy with kissing and being kissed.

As soon as the door to the apartment closed behind them, Jace’s shirt was torn apart. Alec swallowed down all his sounds of protest by kissing him hungrily. Jace felt the sharp edges of Alec’s fangs, but Alec seemed very well able to navigate them. He just sliced slightly Jace’s inner cheek to suck greedily away the small drops of blood that spilled out of the wound immediately. Alec grinned wickedly into Jace’s mouth when he heard the guttural sound Jace made at the sensation.

Magnus embraced Jace from behind, his hands roaming hungrily over Jace’s exposed skin. His hands found his nipples, rubbing them, pinching and then tweaking them when Jace’s body jolted at the sensation until the nubs shone in a pinkish red. Magnus bit lightly down on Jace’s nape, without drawing blood yet, but leaving a blooming red mark behind. His hands slid down further. He chuckled lightly when he felt Jace drew in his belly to give him better access as he shoved his hands insight of the blond’s pants, stroking him lazily to full hardness. Jace’s pants got impossibly tight, yet he snapped his hips forward to get even more friction out of Magnus’ exploring hand. Magnus pressed his own erection against Jace’s perfectly shaped ass in small circles, relishing the small moans he got in response.

Alec hooked one finger in Jace’s belt loop and guided him to the huge bed in the middle of the room. He let himself fall on his back, pulling Jace on top of him.

“I thought you had coffins for sleeping.” Jace managed to mumble between kisses.

“In fact, we have caskets. But fucking in a casket is rather uncomfortable, my darling. Especially in a threesome,” Magnus told him as earnest as possible, but not managing to hide his amusement, while he slid up behind Jace and entangled his hand in Jace’s hair to pull him backwards, exposing his delicious and prominent neck vein.

Jace huffed out a laugh. “Fair enough.”

Magnus licked over the blue vein, where Jace’s blood pulsated strongly in a steady beat, before he sucked lightly on it, teasing Jace as much as himself. Under them Alec wiggled out of his shirt and jeans. Magnus helped Jace do the same, before he got rid of his own clothes. A small shiver ran over Jace’s body, when he felt Magnus cold, naked skin on his own, but it was not an unpleasant feeling. The cold felt good against his own hot skin.

Magnus grinned when he pushed Jace down into Alec’s waiting arms, making Jace bent over and exposing his bare ass. Magnus patted his cheeks approvingly, before he slapped them lightly, humming when he heard the small yelp escaping Jace’s mouth. Magnus bent down over Jace, covering his back with his own body to kiss Alec sloppily, grabbing the lube on the nightstand before he sat back on his heels.

Alec kissed Magnus feverishly and when Magnus withdraw, his eyes searched Jace’s. Jace’s lips parted in anticipation when Alec trailed down his throat with his sharp fingernail, leaving light scratch marks behind. Jace’s mouth formed a silent o when the nail cut for real, drawing out delicious smelling, crimson red blood. The o was immediately replaced by moans of pleasure when Alec started to lick and suck in earnest. His fangs pierced slightly Jace’s skin, but the cut was deep enough to let the blood spill freely. Jace’s moans mingled with Alec’s own while he sucked harder, swallowing down every single drop of blood. Jace tasted like heaven, the metallic flavor spiced with herbs and a hint of cinnamon. Yet he was careful to not drink too much too soon, so in between the sucking, he just lapped at the wound, savoring the taste on his tongue. Jace trembled in Alec’s hold, the pleasure was indescribable, he had never felt something this intense before.

“It’s okay,” Alec whispered against Jace’s ear between licks and small bites, “I’ve got you.”

Magnus parted Jace’s asscheeks, admiring his tight pinky hole. He breathed lightly on it, causing the hole to clench under the cold air, before he circled his lubed thumb over it, not yet pushing in. A smile tugged on his lips when he heard Jace moan with pleasure and Alec swallow. He rubbed over the sensitive area several times and when Jace pushed back lightly, he pressed his thumb in. Jace’s moaning intensified, clearly enjoying the sensation of being sucked and breached at the same time. Magnus pushed his thumb in to the first knuckle, before he circled it while pumping in and out, stretching Jace’s hole slightly.

Magnus slapped Jace’s ass playfully before he removed his thumb, just to replace it with two fingers. He had to force his fangs back when he saw the pinkish mark his hand had left on Jace’s pale ass. Carefully Magnus worked his fingers into Jace’s tight hole, enjoying the way Jace’s inner walls clenched around him. Jace nearly screamed and jerked back with his upper body when Magnus found his prostate and pushed forcefully against it, but Magnus was quick to press him down again, his Vampire speed making the difference. A sudden movement like that could lead to harsh wounds as Alec’s fangs were still tugged in his skin. When Jace relaxed again, Magnus started to move his fingers in and out of him to fuck him gently. When he felt him getting loser, he added a third, to prepare him thoroughly. He twirled his hands, to press from time to time against Jace’s sensitive spot, but more careful now, one hand pressed lightly between Jace’s shoulder blades to keep him in place and safe. Jace was encaged between the two Vampires, one playing with his ass, one with his throat - and he enjoyed every minute of it.

With a groan Alec drew away from Jace’s neck. His lips shone bright red, small drops of blood lingered still on the corner of his mouth when he pulled Jace in to kiss him deeply, moaning into his mouth when he felt Magnus’ hands on his hard cock, stroking him and lubing him up at the same time. Magnus gave Jace an encouraging slap to make him lift his hips, before he guided him down on Alec’s cock. Jace hissed lightly when he was split open by Alec’s impressive dick, while lowering himself down, taking in inch by inch. It burnt, but it was a good kind of pain. It just burned enough to feel real.

Alec’s lips parted in a low growl when Jace took him in fully and started to ride him. Jace circled his hips and rolled them forward with lascivious movements, before he lifted himself up until only Alec’s tip was inside of him to grind down again. One hand rested on Alec’s chest for better support while he fucked himself on Alec’s cock.

With a wicked grin Magnus grabbed his hair and pulled him up a little more. Jace let his head fall to the side, to give Magnus better access to the unmarked side of his neck. At that gesture Magnus couldn’t hold back anymore. With a snarl his fangs popped out and he buried them deep into Jace’s sensitive skin. He sucked harshly and the blood started to spill instantly, flooding into Magnus’ mouth which made him swallow hungrily, needily. Magnus nudged him lightly, as Jace had gotten completely still at the overwhelming sensation. Jace started to move again, his hips rolling in a slow, trance like rhythm.

Alec moaned wantonly, he needed more now. He grabbed Jace’s hips harshly, probably leaving marks behind, but he didn’t really care. In fact, he loved the thought of leaving marks all over Jace. He pulled Jace up and down on his cock, before he hold him tight, his own hips jerking upwards to fuck Jace in earnest in a punishing rhythm. Jace’s eyes rolled back in his head, the sensation of being fucked roughly and Magnus drinking his blood nearly too much.

“Fuck,” he groaned. “I don’t know if I can take…”

“You can take it baby, you can.”

Jace just moaned helplessly in response.

Alec’s thrusts became even more forceful and deeper when his orgasm started to build. With each thrust he split Jace a bit more open and buried himself deeper into him. He saw that Jace was close too, just from being fucked like that. His dick was already leaking precome. And as hot as that was, Alec didn’t want Jace to come, not just yet.

“Mags..”

That was all that was necessary. They were a well well-working team. Without having to interrupt his biting and sucking, Magnus reached around Jace and pressed down on the base of his cock, interrupting successfully the orgasm that had started to build. Jace's half huffed, half moaned complaint got muffled when Alec hit his prostate with an especially forceful thrust, pushing Alec over the edge. A content growl escaped his throat, while his body spasmed with pleasure. When he regained control he sat up to kiss first Jace and then hold on to him, to ride out the last waves of his orgasm as Jace gently rolled his hips until Alec stopped shaking. Magnus tore himself off Jace’s throat to share a bloody kiss with Alec, both Vampires high on Jace’s taste.

Alec pressed a light and regretful kiss to Jace’s nape, but they couldn’t drink more. He could tell that Jace felt already lightheaded and it was a fine line they wouldn’t cross.

“Now I wanna taste something else from you.” Alec growled seductively against Jace's ear.

The blond hissed lightly when he lifted himself up and Alec slipped out of him, come dribbling out of his well used hole.

Magnus slid out of the bed, before he grabbed Jace by his shoulders to pull him on his back and to the edge, so that his head was dangling over the bed. Jace looked up at him under his thick, dark eyelashes, making Magnus groan with anticipation. He stood in front of him, his thumb playing with Jace’s bottom lip. He smiled when Jace opened his mouth to let him in willingly. He slipped his thumb inside, pressing lightly down on Jace’s tongue. Jace started to suck immediately, his tongue swirling around in small circle. Magnus made a content sound in the back of his throat at the display of eagerness. He bent down to kiss Jace thoroughly after he had withdrawn his finger.

“You okay?” He whispered gently, his hand stroking Jace’s throat with the two bite marks on each side.

“Yeah.” Jace’s voice sounded raspy. “Just be careful there.”

The last words were directed towards Alec, who had nestled between Jace’s legs, nudging his knees to make them fall apart wider. Alec grinned and showed Jace his sharp fangs.

“Don’t worry, years of practice.”

Alec kissed his way up from Jace’s knee to his inner thighs, licking and sucking on the sensitive skin. He couldn’t help but bite lightly into the soft flesh just next to Jace’s balls, his fangs piercing the skin just enough to draw a little blood. Just a little, but it made Jace moan with pleasure. The moans became louder when Alec started to lick away the precome on his cock, his tongue darting in and out Jace’s slit, before he started to swallow him.

“Open up for me.”

Jace's eyes were wide when they locked with Magnus' and his moans were suddenly muffled when he complied and Magnus pushed his hard cock into his mouth. It felt fantastic, the angle allowing Magnus to thrust deep into Jace’s throat. Magnus gave Jace time to adjust to the feeling of being full, but as soon as he felt Jace’s throat relax, he pushed in deeper. The way Jace’s throat constricted around him, the way Jace’s moans vibrated around his cock made Magnus moan himself. One hand lay lightly on Jace’s throat, just massaging it from time to time, his thumb running over Jace’s Adam’s apple gently.

A low growl escaped Magnus when he saw his own cock pushing against Jace’s throat while he thrust deep into his readily opened mouth. The growl deepened when he saw the bulge now with every thrust. His hand tightened around Jace’s throat, but not enough to hurt or cut off his airway completely. Just enough to play a little. He wouldn’t last long now. He looked up to meet Alec’s gaze, who was working Jace’s cock relentlessly, bopping his head and swallowing him down to the hilt. At that sight Magnus pushed in even deeper and came with a low moan down Jace’s throat, the sensation causing Jace to follow a few seconds later.

***

Jace lay spent between the two Vampires, enjoying the warm wash cloth that was rubbed over his body, cleaning him gently. His throat and ass were sore just in the right way, and he felt a bit high, but not in an unpleasant way. Magnus carded through his hair, tugging lightly at it while Alec cleaned him. His eyes got heavy and he had to suppress a yawn. Magnus pressed a light kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“You can sleep sweetheart.”

Jace huffed but was too sleepy to fight the nickname.

With a careless gesture Alec threw away the cloth before he settled down on Jace’s other side, kissing first Magnus and then Jace. With a sad smile he brushed over Jace’s face, before he whispered in a soft, soothing voice.

“Tomorrow you will have forgotten that Vampires exist. You will think that everything was just a dream. A beautiful, hot, dream, nothing more.”


	3. Chapter 3

Jace awoke slowly. He felt strangely hot and sweaty, though he had kicked away his blanket in his sleep. The bed was a mess of crumbled sheets, pillows and his blanket. His chest was bare and he had only boxers on, a fact that was not startling him, he often slept half naked. Yet, he felt off, as if he had drunken way too much last night. But he couldn’t remember drinking that much. He remembered that he had gone to a bar and had had a few drinks, but nothing that should put him in a state like that. He also kind of remembered coming home, alone, but the coming home part felt foggy. The going to the bar he saw in colors, whereas the coming home was just black and white.

He shrugged and shook his head to clear it, but the fogginess stayed. He went to take a cold shower and was slightly startled when he saw the hickeys on his neck in the reflection of the shower door – both sides of his neck were covered in huge dark marks, that looked as someone had not just sucked, but actually bitten him. At least it seemed he had had fun. The marks explained also his dream of two hot strangers. Maybe it hadn’t been a dream after all, maybe it had happened. But whenever he wanted to place a finger on the “it”, his thoughts seemed to resolve into smoke. He definitely should cut back the drinking.

***

When he came home later that day, he decided to take another shower. He still felt itchy and unsettled. Maybe some more water would help to wash away that feeling. While discarding his shirt – he still wondered where his shirt from last night had vanished to, he had found his pants but not his shirt – he caught side of himself in the mirror. Normally he avoided mirrors most of the time, not because he didn’t like his appearance – in fact he did, he was not blind after all – but the memories that came with it.

_Angry screams and pain, red spots painting the shiny surface like a canvas until everywhere were blood and tears._

He shook his head to chase away the image, rubbing absentmindedly with his left hand over his right. He really didn’t want to go down that road. But the thought of blood triggered something in his mind. He trailed down the hickey on the right side of his neck when his breath caught in his throat. Blood. This was not a hickey. That truly was a bite mark. And suddenly the memories of last night crashed over him, infiltrating his brain in a rush.

He had been in a bar, so much was true. In a bar run by Vampires. He remembered the fight. Pictures of Magnus and Alec and the three of them flickered behind his eyelids and he heard the last words Alec had spoken to him. A boiling anger settled in his stomach. Jace hated when someone played dirty tricks on him and this was more than dirty. They had tricked him into forgetting what had happened. They had meddled with his mind.

Without thinking twice he threw the shirt back on and grabbed his keys, heading for the door. He really didn’t care that probably it wasn’t a good idea to go back to a bar full of Vampires. He was fucking furious and would tell the Vampires what he thought of them. And if it was the last thing he would do.

He entered the bar, his eyes taking a short time to adjust to the dim light. But then he saw Magnus, sitting at the bar, sipping a red drink, joking with the bartender as if nothing had happened at all. Jace remembered from last night that Vampires were stronger than normal humans, but he was a trained fighter and definitely too angry to be afraid right now. He pushed through the other guests without caring if he brushed against them, his hands clenched into fists. He yanked Magnus around by his shoulder and his fist connected with his jaw without any warning. Magnus looked up to him, a puzzled expression on his face.

“Jace…” He rubbed absentmindedly the spot where Jace had hit him.

The fact that Magnus seemed more startled with his presence than with the blow did nothing to sooth Jace’s anger, to the contrary, it made him just more furious.

Magnus stood up and was suddenly very close to Jace. With all his force Jace punched with two fists against Magnus chest to make him retreat, but the Vampire didn’t seem to feel the impact that much.

“What did you do to me?” Jace hissed, his anger increasing with every second. “If you think it is okay to meddle with my brain…” his voice trailed away when he felt someone’s presence behind him.

He hadn’t heard someone approach, but when he turned around Alec stood right behind him, a concerned look on his face. Suddenly Jace was very well aware that he was encaged between them. Before he could react to that, Alec started to speak.

“Why don’t we talk about everything somewhere more private?”

Jace glared at him. “Why?”

“Because we are causing a scene.” A hint of amusement was in Alec's voice, but his expression was still serious – and slightly regretful.

Jace looked up and in deed, he felt several pairs of eyes on them. He huffed but then nodded. Though he was determined to tell both of them what exactly he thought of them, he was not too keen on having spectators. He also realized that he was one of the few humans in the room and some eyes roamed hungrily over his body, lingering a little too long on the bite marks on his neck.

He followed them into a private room behind the bar he vaguely remembered from the night before. He crossed his arms over his chest and his anger slowly turned into a tiredness, but he was still angry enough to attack.

“Why the fuck do you think it is alright to fuck with my mind?”

Magnus and Alec looked at each other, clearly leading a silent conversation and Jace could feel the fury boiling in his blood again. It was Alec who broke the silence.

“We wanted to protect you.”

Jace just snorted. “Me.”

Another look went between Alec and Magnus. “Well, and us.”

Jace rolled his eyes. “Well, that’s more like it, I guess. But you know, I am very well aware of how one-night stands work. You’re not that amazing that I would have crawled back if we just had agreed that this is all it was.”

Magnus wiggled suggestively with his eyebrows. “Wouldn’t have you, uh?”

Totally against his will Jace’s eyes followed Magnus’ tongue that licked over his lips, but he managed to glare at him.

Alec carded through his hair and gestured towards the couch and a chair. “Why don’t we sit down and talk properly about it. You are right, Jace, changing one’s memories is not really acceptable. But…”

“The end justifies the means?”

“Yeah, something along the line.”

Jace sucked in his bottom and lip and bit lightly on it, thinking about what to do. If he just should walk out or sit down. Or punch them again, but the result had not been satisfying.

_Fucking Vampires._

Suddenly he felt both Vampires staring at his mouth where he still sucked on his lip. He bit down a little harder. Just because he could and he felt like it. And because he wanted to see both their reactions. He grinned inwardly when both their fangs popped out lightly. He rolled his eyes and settled on the couch.

“So why did you do it? And how?”

Magnus had sat down next to him, far away enough that he was not touching him but close enough that Jace smelled a faint whiff of sandalwood, causing his skin to break out into small goosebumps. Alec chose the chair opposite of him.

“What do you know about the Shadow World?”

“Shadow World?”

Another look was exchanged between Alec and Magnus and Jace started to get truly annoyed by it.

“So nothing, uh? It is strange that you remember us at all. I used something called Encanto on you, it makes humans do what we Vampires want. It's a bit like mind control. I might be not as old and powerful as Magnus, but normally my Encanto should have worked in the way that you neither remember us nor Vampires in general.” Alec at least had the decency to sound a bit ashamed at this confession.

“Well, but I do. And it’s not that I see Vampires for the first time.”

_Red drops splattered against shiny mirrors, screams of anger and pain._

Jace shook his head vehemently to get rid of the image in front of his eyes.

“I’ve seen them for the first time when I was a kid.”

“Mundane with the sight.” Magnus and Alec spoke nearly simultaneously.

“That explains it, though, at least partially. Nevertheless, you seem to have an exceptional resistance against our powers. Very strong will, I guess. The thing is, Jace, it is dangerous for a human to get involved in the Shadow World. The Shadow World is a dangerous place for someone who sees but cannot protect themselves. And humans are just so fragile.”

Jace just glared at them. “I’m not fragile.”

Magnus smiled at the words. “For a human maybe not, but for a Demon, a Werewolf or a Vampire, you are. And we didn’t want to put you in danger. We thought you saw Vampires for the first time and hoped you just would forget everything. But when you have seen the Shadow World since you were a child… The other thing is, we are at the brink of war. With another Vampire clan….”

“Your ex’s Vampire clan.” Alec muttered under the breath he didn’t need to take.

“With my dear ex’s Vampire clan, exactly. And there are the Shadowhunters who are becoming more and more a pain in our asses. You have to know, Shadowhunters are half human and half angelique creatures, who feel entitled to rule us all. And there are rules we need to follow, otherwise there will be another war. We are not allowed to turn mundanes into Vampires or feed from them or anything like that.”

“So you didn’t want a liability. I kind of understand that, but again. What makes you think I would have come back? I actually do know what a one-night stand is.”

“You have come back now.”

“Because you meddled with my memories. And to be honest, that was really a shitty feeling.”

“And I am really sorry for that. I hope you can forgive me.” Alec’s eyes locked into Jace’s, the gaze so intense that Jace had to look away. He blinked and when he looked again, Alec was standing in front of him, looking down on him with his warm hazel eyes.

“And maybe we think that because we wanted you to come back. Maybe we really hoped that you would have.”

Jace swallowed. Hard. Something warm stirred inside of him at those words, something so powerful that he had to remind himself that this was just a game. Just another game of blood, lust and pain.

Alec’s index finger trailed over the slight bruise Jace had bitten into his bottom lip, pressing against it until one single drop of blood appeared. He caught it with his finger to suck it off with closed eyes, slightly moaning when Jace’s taste hit his tongue. With an obscene pop he withdrew his finger and climbed on top of Jace, straddling his legs.

When Aelc leaned in to kiss Jace, Jace really had to remind himself that this had nothing to do with falling in love. Love made you breakable and he was anything but the fragile mundane Magnus and Alec wanted to see in him. This was just another game. But the warm feeling stayed when Alec kissed him thoroughly and he felt Magnus hand slip under his shirt. It stayed when he saw the two Vampires kiss next, a tenderness in their movements that made the feeling even intensify. A slight shiver ran over his body. This was just another fucking game.

***

Jace groaned satisfied and stretched his sore muscles. His back was pressed against Alec, who lay in the middle. Magnus combed Jace’s hair lightly. He had to suppress a whine when Magnus tugged just with the right force on it.

“We have to be careful.” Magnus sounded serene. “This is not a game. With our clan it won’t be a problem, no one will dare to touch you. But we have to be careful with Camille – my ex – and hers, and of course the Shadowhunters. I’ve heard they tortured one of Camille’s when they thought he turned a mundane.”

Alec’s hold tightened around Jace. “If you want to continue this, that is.”

Jace stayed silent for while, but then nodded, a bit reluctant but he nodded.

“What’s that?” Jace sounded startled. He just had felt Magnus’ hands in his hair, the next second Magnus stood in front of him and dropped something onto the bed.

“This is a special knife. A Warlock coated it in a very specific way with Adamas, a substance that normally only Shadowhunters can activate. But with the way this knife is treated it works also for everyone else. It kills Vampires instantly when you pierce their heart with it. Do you need me to show you how to handle it?”

Jace rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help the warm feeling to spread. That they handed him a weapon that could kill them easily touched him in a strange kind of way.

“I told you I’m not a fragile human. I can handle myself and most definitely I can handle a knife. I got my first dagger when I was five.”

“That’s good.” Magnus smiled down on him, a possessive gleam in his eyes. “You can show us later.”

Jace just huffed in response, but he took the knife anyway. It was a beautifully manufactured weapon that couldn’t hide its deadliness.


	4. Chapter 4

_Several months later_

They had settled in a surprisingly well working routine. Jace spent most of his nights at the Pandemonium Bar and often he also slept in Alec’s and Magnus’ apartment above it. The Pandemonium was the headquarter of Magnus’ and Alec’s Vampire clan and soon Jace got familiar with the Vampires belonging to their clan, learning to distinguish them from Camille’s. He also learned more about the politics in the Shadow World in general, more than he probably would have wanted if asked. But dating both leaders of the most influential clan in New York came with certain learnings, though Jace refused to see what they had as dating or even more. It was sex – admittedly hot sex – but certainly there was nothing more to it.

Jace also learned to avoid Shadowhunters. Whenever they were around the Pandemonium Bar, he avoided entering or retreated to the backrooms, as he didn’t want to give them any leverage against Alec and Magnus. He didn’t quite get why powerful beings like Vampires, Warlocks or Werewolves let themselves being tossed around by humans that needed runes to enhance their strength, but as things were as they were, he forewent Shadowhunters as best as possible.

It still startled him sometimes how many things his brain had been able to suppress when he had been in denial of the Shadow World. How much you could beat out of a child. Suddenly he saw creatures in the park, Fairies in their different forms he had never noticed before. He saw Warlocks with their special marks and Werewolves. He saw buildings he had never seen before. Not only the Pandemonium Bar with its apartment complex, he saw also the Hotel Dumort, the headquarter of Camille’s clan. He saw also behind the glamour of the old, run down church that lay on his way home from Pandemonium. The headquarter of the New York Enclave of the Shadowhunters was an impressive high tech building - the Institute as they called it. Normally he avoided taking this way and made a detour, which took him a bit longer but was worth it in his opinion. This time however he decided to take the direct route.

It had been a strange night, as had been the last couple of nights. There was a tension in the air he could grab with bare hands. The clinch with Camille’s clan was about to explode, Camille wanting the complete leadership over both clans. And rumors spread that the Shadowhunters had a new Head of the Institute, a man known for his racist views on Downworlders and his questionably methods to keep the peace in the Shadow World.

Several Downworlders had disappeared without a trace lately and everyone suspected that the new man, Victor Aldertree, was responsible for it. Yet, when he had demanded to see one of their leaders, Magnus and Alec had not dared to refuse and Alec had followed the invitation, that had been more an order than anything else. He had not been back yet when Jace had left Pandemonium, it being one of the rare nights he preferred to stay at his own apartment. But he had an early morning and he needed to catch some sleep.

Jace was lost in his thoughts when something startled him. He stepped back in the shadows of some bushes, where he had a good view over the entrance door of the Institute but couldn’t be seen himself.

Three men half dragged and half pushed another man in their middle towards the street. Jace drew in a breath. Though he knew him only for a couple of months, he was sure he would recognize him anywhere, even from the far distance from where he was observing. And with the same certainty, he realized that there was distinctly something off with Alec. Jace heard one of the Shadowhunters laugh before he pushed Alec away, making the Vampire stumble and fall to the ground.

As soon as the doors to the Institute closed behind the three Shadowhunters, Jace leaped into action. He jumped down the little slope and started to run the moment his feet hit the asphalt. His breath hitched when he took in Alec’s state. His face was covered in red, angry marks, his skin seemed to have burnt away in several areas. But what scared him more was Alec’s lifelessness. He could barely hold his eyes open and somehow, he seemed to lack all his strength. He still lay unmoving and crumbled on the cold pavement where the Shadowhunter had left him.

“Alec.” Jace whispered, kneeling down beside him. “You need to get away from here.”

Alec blinked his eyes open but he fairly managed to keep them that way. Jace grabbed him under his shoulders to drag him out of plain sight towards the nearby bushes. It didn’t seem a good idea to leave him on the street for everyone to see.

“Alec, what happened? What is wrong with you?”

Alec’s voice was hoarse when he answered, as if he had screamed for hours. Given the state he was in, he probably had.

“Jace... Drugged me. Tortured me. I’m…”

“What Alec, what did they gave you? What can I do?”

“N’thing. Drug. Starving….” Alec’s voice trailed away.

“They gave you some kind of drug that made you starve?” Jace had no idea if something like that even existed, but it would make sense. Alec had been well fed when he had left, now he could barely lift his head and speak and Jace doubted that this had something to do with the torture.

The wounds looked painful, but superficial. But starving was good. This was something he could fix. His eyes darted shortly to the night sky, that was already starting to turn from black to blue. They had to hurry up. Alec had to be back at Pandemonium before dawn could crack.

He pressed his wrist against Alec’s mouth. “Here, drink. You need to regain your strength, Alec.”

But Alec pressed his lips together in a firm line and shook his head. “No… can’t… lose control...”

“You won’t Alec. I know you won’t. You need to drink. We don’t have time for this.” Desperation seeped into his voice.

But Alec shook his head stubbornly. With a frustrated groan Jace looked around to see if there was anything that could help him, until it hit him. He drew the knife Magnus had given him from the holster in his ankle. Without hesitation he let it slide over his wrist, cutting his own flesh open, so that the first drops of blood started to ease out of the wound. He pressed his bleeding wrist to Alec’s mouth, but even then Alec kept his lips tightly shut, shaking his head.

Jace wanted to scream in frustration, but screaming had never solved any problems. Instead, he lifted his wrist to his own mouth and sucked lightly on it, coating his lips and mouth in his own blood. He shivered lightly at the metallic, but sadly familiar taste. It was not the first time he got his own blood to taste. He bent down and grabbed Alec’s head in a bruising grip, tilting his head upwards to him. Then he kissed Alec, trying to coax his mouth open with his demanding tongue and teeth. A light bite to Alec’s bottom lip solved the problem. Alec opened his mouth with a gasp. As soon as the first drops of blood hit Alec’s tongue, his eyes snapped open. The taste of fresh blood – Jace’s fresh blood – made him lose all his resolve. With a desperate groan he sucked all the blood from Jace’s lips. Too soon all was gone and he reached for Jace’s open wrist like in a trance. His fangs popped out and he buried them deep into Jace’s wrist, sucking hungrily at it. Jace hissed at the sting, but he didn’t try to get away, to the contrary, he pressed his arm closer to Alec, encouraging him with small noises in the back of his throat.

Alec swallowed greedily, the blood tasting like heaven, like life itself in his mouth. Though he had eaten earlier that night, he felt as if he hadn’t had any blood in days due to the special drug Aldertree had given him. He drank like a starving man. He gulped the blood down in an urgent rush, his instincts having taken over control fully. His eyes gleamed red, there was not much left inside of him besides the need for fresh, delicious, life giving blood.

Jace started to feel lightheaded. He tried to draw back his arm, but Alec hold it tight in a bruising, unforgiving grip now. Jace pushed with his free hand against Alec’s chest, but Alec just grunted without letting go. He seemed out of his mind, his focus only on drinking and satisfying his primal instincts.

“Alec.”

When Jace hissed Alec’s name pleadingly, it seemed that he had gotten through to the Vampire. Alec lowered Jace’s wrist. Jace sighed in relief, but the sigh caught in his throat. Alec sat up and with his Vampire strength and speed, he grabbed Jace by his shoulders and yanked him towards him. His fangs shone red in the light of the street lamp before he buried them deep in Jace’s neckline and started to suck and drink again. Jace wiggled and squirmed in Alec’s hold, a pained moan on his lips, but he had no chance to get away. He was trapped in Alec’s arms. Soon he felt his body going limp, the lightheadedness turning into wobbling fogginess, turning into complete darkness.

***

Jace panicked. Something was stuck in his throat and he couldn’t fucking breathe properly, not to mention talk. He tried to open his eyes but the light surrounding him was too bright and the ringing sound of a siren way too loud in his ears. He tried to lift his arm, but he was too tired to move a muscle. And he couldn’t really breathe.

“It’s all right, you’re in an ambulance. You’re intubated to help you breathe, that’s why you can’t talk. We want…”

But darkness claimed Jace again, he didn’t learn what they wanted to do.

The next time he woke up, he found himself in a hospital bed, a tube stuck in his arm but thankfully he wasn’t intubated anymore. A nurse was next to him and explained that someone had found him, nearly dead on the pavement. His heart had barely beaten anymore and he had lost a lot of blood. The police wanted to speak to him if he was up to it. Jace nodded tiredly.

When the police officer entered the room, Jace tried to focus on her and her questions, though he didn’t plan on answer her in earnest. He gave her a generic description of a man who had attacked him and told her that he had no idea why he had lost so much blood and where all that blood was. She seemed really puzzled, the crime scene should have been covered in his blood given the bloodless state they had found Jace in. But Jace just shrugged, stating he didn’t remember anything specific and then turning away, indicating he needed rest. The police officer told him to call her if he remembered something else and squeezed his shoulder lightly to express her sympathy for what had happened to him and for his memory loss.

But it was worse than that. Jace remembered. He remembered every single second until he had blacked out. And Jace had to admit that the memories hurt. No matter how often he told himself that it had been just about sex and that it didn’t matter - he was alive, wasn’t he - it hurt. Not so much that Alec had lost control. He understood that part. Alec had been starving and he had taken what he had needed to survive. That part he could deal with, live with. He had more or less forced Alec to drink from him in the first place. No, this was not what hurt.

What hurt more than he wanted to admit was the fact that Alec had left him there to die. He had thrown him away like trash, the moment Alec had seen no more value in him.

Probably Alec had thought the same thing than the stranger that had found him, that he was already dead. And so he had left him. He hadn’t bothered to take Jace with him, to check if he really was dead – or turn him if he was. No, he just had thrown him away. For a brief moment, Jace let his tears fall, before he pulled himself together.

_Pathetic. Weak. Breakable._

He heard his father’s voice in his head, he saw red drops of blood against white snow, he saw blood spilled on shiny mirrors. And he couldn’t believe that for a moment, he had forgotten that all had just been a game, a game of blood and tears and pain like it had always been. A game he once had been good at, as the price for him to pay had always been blood. So he really shouldn’t question that Alec had left him the moment he had thought that there was no more blood to pay with. Yet, there was an aching inside him that had nothing to do with his physical condition. The warmth had turned into ice.

***

The next time he woke it was early afternoon the next day. He had slept for hours and Jace felt much better. The infusions had worked and replenished his drained body. Therefore he saw no point in staying at the hospital and demanded to be released on his own account.

Somewhat reluctantly, they let him go. It was already evening, the sun had set an hour ago, when he opened the door to his apartment. With a sigh he closed the door behind him when a small movement caught his eyes. He swirled around, his hands clenched into fists, ready to attack.

“Magnus.” His fists unclenched and his shoulders relaxed. In the blink of an eye Magnus was in front of him.

“Jace. Are you alright? Have you seen him?” He took his chin and turned it to get a better look at the bite mark. It was more prominent and looked more violent than any other Jace had had before and Magnus shook his head in denial.

Jace was too perplex to react immediately and therefore let Magnus inspect him and even run a finger over the mark, before he jerked away and took a step back, his back connecting with the door. He crossed his arms over his chest protectively.

“I’m fine. And what do you mean if I have seen him? Isn't’ he at Pandemonium?” There was no need to clarify who the he was.

“No, he didn’t come back from his visit to the Institute. He is just gone… And he isn’t answering his damn phone and you are not answering either. And then someone told me that they found a nearly drained body outside of the Institute and I had to discover that that someone was you. What the fuck happened?” The frustration was clearly audible.

With a sigh Jace told Magnus about the torture, the drug and Alec feeding from him until he lost consciousness. He tried to keep the hurt out of his voice, but he couldn’t help his heartbeat picking up and he knew Magnus would hear it.

“Oh Jace.”

Magnus’ voice sounded soft when Jace had finished. He reached again for Jace’s face, but the blond turned his head to the side, avoiding the touch. Magnus let his hand fell to his side. Jace saw the turmoil in his eyes. He stepped to the side to give the way free to the door.

“Go, look for him. As I said, I’m fine.”

“Jace.” Magnus’ voice was pleading, but Jace shook his head.

“Go. I’m fine. Go find your… lover.” The word sounded strange out of his mouth.

“I really need to find him. I don’t know what he is doing. I’m scared he is about to do something stupid. ” Magnus combed through his spiky hair, desperation seeping through his words and his gesture. “But I’m sure he didn’t mean…”

“Didn’t mean to nearly kill me and then leave me behind like trash?”

“Jace, please…”

“I said go. Now.” Jace’s eyes were hard as ice, fueled by the cold feeling that had settled inside of him. Jace didn’t know if it was his words, his voice or Magnus’ need to find Alec or all three together that finally made Magnus go, but he did. Jace was alone again.


	5. Chapter 5

Jace’s body was demanding rest, but his mind couldn’t get any peace. He paced up and down in his small apartment when he finally decided to screw it. He put on grey, washed out jeans, a tight white top and his leather jacket, grabbed his keys and headed to the door. He needed a distraction. He needed it now.

He stepped out of the apartment and pulled the door shut. He turned around. He didn’t see the fist coming that connected with his temple. He went down without making a sound.

***

Jace came back to consciousness in a stony cell. His head hurt like hell. With a grimace he massaged his sensitive temple. It was the second time now in two days that he was knocked out and he really was pissed. He quickly checked, but besides his headache he was unharmed. His hand felt for his knife in the ankle holster and he sighed in relief when he still felt it there.

To his astonishment the hospital had returned the knife to him together with his other belongings when they had discharged him, apparently it didn’t register as a dangerous weapon. And whoever had brought him here, hadn’t searched him properly. He had a fair idea who had captured him and was proven right when he overheard a conversation from his capturers. Camille’s clan.

Despite his situation, a laugh bubbled up in him that desperately wanted to get out. Camille had managed to capture him just the moment, when most probably both Alec and Magnus wouldn’t lift a finger to get him back. They had thrown him away anyway, so why should they bother now?

But he was anyhow not in need for a savior. He could very well safe himself. Though there were many things he hadn’t liked about his father, he thanked him now for the harsh drill he had gone through. Though part of him wanted to freak out, the part of him that was annoyed and angry was stronger and he made sure to hold on to that part. If he gave in to his fears, he’d be lost. But as fear had not been something Valentine had tolerated having, he was used to ignore it.

He figured that his best shot was to break out soon, before Camille would notice that he was a useless bait to her. He didn’t want to find out what she would do to him then. He stepped a little closer to the bars of the cell to hear better what the Vampires outside were discussing.

“Go ahead and prepare everything, I’ll bring the boy. It’s faster to split up.”

“But Camille said we should guard him together.” The female Vampire sounded unsure, but the first just huffed out a laugh.

“As if I wouldn’t be capable of holding a little mundane in check.”

Finally the woman joint in the laugh and left.

Jace retreated to the corner of the cell, thinking fast. This was his chance, he just needed to overwhelm one of them.

Though Alec and Magnus showed a good control when it came to openly bleeding wounds, Jace knew that most Vampires weren’t capable of this kind of self-control, especially when confronted suddenly and unexpected. And Jace knew that for some reason his blood smelled exceptional delicious to a lot of Vampires.

So he gripped the knife harder and made a deliberate cut in his neck, deep enough to bleed but not too deep to cause any real harm. He suppressed the small hiss that wanted to escape when the sharp blade cut his skin. Then he ripped one sleeve off his shirt to cover up the wound, he didn’t want the Vampire to smell it too early.

“Hey little boy, it’s time to meet the Queen.” The Vampire entered the cell without closing the door. Jace smirked at him. He would show him what kind of little boy he was. With a fluid motion he ripped off the cloth form the wound, causing the blood to spill again. His other hand gripped the knife tightly, hiding it beneath his shirt.

The Vampire was caught completely off guard. He hissed and then a low, guttural sound escaped his throat before he lunged forward, grabbing Jace tightly by his shoulders. Just before his impressive fangs could pierce Jace’s skin, Jace drove the knife upwards. The sharp knife went in like butter and right through the Vampire’s rib cage before it sank into his heart. An inhuman shriek escaped him before he evaporated and only a small pile of dust was left behind.

Jace panted lightly, adrenaline was running through his veins like fire. In his one hand he held his knife, in the other a piece of the Vampire’s shirt, that had teared off when he had stabbed him, just before he had turned into dust and ashes.

He paused a moment to calm down his breath. Vampire hearing was a bitch, he needed to be really quiet to be able to flee undetected. He was just about to throw away the piece of cloth, when he thought better and wrapped it around his neck. It would cover the wound and the Vampire’s scent would cover his own. With a grim expression Jace gripped his knife even harder and left the cell.

He had no idea of the outline of the building he was hold captive, but his guts told him that normally cells were in the basement and so his way to go was up. Besides him nobody was to be seen. His eyes had already adjusted to the darkness, so it was easy for him to find the way to the stairs. As silent as possible he made his way up. A door blocked his way. His hand paused a moment on the handle, but then he pushed it down and opened the door a fraction. He heard noises, yells of anger, screams of fury and pain. It sounded like an ongoing battle. Jace hesitated for a moment, but figured that this might be his best chance to get away.

He pushed the door that led into a kind of hall way completely open. He stepped into pure chaos. The air was filled with hisses and shrieks, Vampires clashed into each other with bared fangs and sharp nails, ready to rip apart the other. Several Vampires were turned into dust within a blink of an eye.

Jace was just about to turn away to run for the exit, when his movements stilled, against his will. But he just couldn’t look away when he saw Alec and Magnus.

They led the attack of the invading Vampires and there was a cruel and fascinating beauty to both of them. Their fangs were out and their eyes gleamed in a dangerous red while they dashed through the enemy, leaving piles of dust to both their sides. They moved so fast Jace could barely follow their movements. They moved like the well-working team they were, each covering for the other.

Suddenly, Alec’s movements paused for a second and his head snapped around. His eyes shone even in a brighter red when he lay eyes on Jace. Within a heartbeat he was in front of him, Magnus following suit. His nails were sharp but with a surprising tenderness he turned Jace’s head to inspect the covered wound. He growled dangerously when he saw the blood seeping through the bandage and made an even more feral sound when he smelled the foreign Vampire on Jace.

“Jace. Are you okay?” Alec growled through his fangs. Jace just nodded, the knife still in his hand.

“Underhill,” Alec barked and the Vampire in question appeared next to them. “Bring Jace to Pandemonium and make sure he is safe.”

His voice was sharp like a blade and the Vampire just nodded, knowing better than to argue.

“Please.” Alec’s voice had become softer when he addressed Jace, a plea in his eyes even the red couldn’t hide.

It was a bit like when Jace had met Alec for the first time. Part of him wanted to decline just for the sake of it, but he wasn’t stupid. He wanted to survive. So he just nodded and followed Underhill, who let him outside. Without arguing he settled on the backseat of the motorcycle Underhill had kick started and that soon flew high in the air, fueled by demonic energy.

***

Jace leaned against the wall of the room Underhill had taken him when he heard the door crack open. Magnus stepped through it, followed by Alec. They both still looked feral, a dark energy radiating from them, reflecting the dangerous predators they could be. Both growled lowly when they saw Jace, but Magnus stepped towards the couch in the room, giving Jace space. Alec didn’t have so much self-control. With a snarl he was in front of Jace, his fangs still out.

“Alec.”

Magnus voice was quiet, but a clear warning lay in it. But Jace wasn’t scared. Somehow he understood what Alec, or the half feral being Alec still was, needed. He bared his neck in a submissive gesture and Alec stepped even closer, caging him with his body. A sharp fingernail ripped away the bandage. Alec hissed when the fresh smell of blood hit him, but he didn’t touch Jace.

“Are you okay Jace? Did they hurt you? You reek like them.”

Jace just rolled his eyes. “I’m fine. You can go ahead.”

Alec didn’t need to be told twice. He rubbed his cheek against Jace’s before he licked a long line across the wound, not to suck, just to mark Jace again. To claim him as his, as theirs, to make the foreign smell go away. He placed soft kisses next to the wound. Strangely that felt more intimate than the licking and claiming. Jace’s body stiffened.

“Alec.”

The warning in Magnus’ voice was even clearer now, but before Magnus could get up and yank Alec back, he retreated on his own.

“I’m sorry Jace. I’m so sorry. I got lost… I’m sorry.”

Jace could have sworn that Alec would have blushed if Vampires would be capable of blushing. Alec looked more like himself now, calmer. And so did Magnus. Alec let himself fall on the couch next to Magnus, but his gaze didn’t leave Jace’s.

“Please Jace, let me explain. Let me apologize”

“And if I am not interested in listening?”

“Then of course you can leave.”

Jace stared at them for a long moment, before he walked over to them and sat down on the chair opposite of them. He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Okay. What happened at the other headquarter?”

“Well, to cut a long story short: Camille overstepped by capturing and threatening someone very dear to us. You. This was something we could not tolerate so we declared war and well. There is only one New York Vampire clan anymore. Led by us.”

It was Magnus who spoke. His calmness, but also his words made Jace shiver.

“You attacked them because of me?”

“Of course Jace. What do you think? That she kidnaps you and we stand by and watch? No fucking way, you’re way too precious, sweetheart. Jace.” Magnus corrected himself, but both could not hide the small grin at the nickname.

“And what about him?” Jace gestured towards Alec. “Where has he been?”

“That’s his story to tell.”

Jace blinked and then Alec was in front of him, on his knees, kneeling for him.

“I cannot say how sorry I am Jace. For losing control. But even more for leaving. You went lax in my arms and I was still half mad from the drugs and the pain. I really thought you were dead. I freaked and left, just to return a little later. But then the ambulance was already there and I fled again.” Alec had taken Jace’s hand, but Jace pulled away.

“Yeah, because there is nothing you could have done about me being dead. No.” He hold up his hand. “I understand. I’m not interesting for you when I am dead. It’s my blood you want, not me.”

Alec closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, a sad and pained expression was in them. “No, Jace. If I, if we, ever made you feel that way I am so sorry. We are sorry. You are so much more to us than blood. But becoming a Vampire is not something you just can do lightly. It’s something we need to discuss. You become immortal. And eternity is a long time to live, Jace. You could never walk in the sun again. It’s not that simple. But I should never have left you like this, and if I had thought clearly I would never have done it. But I was not really myself.”

Alec looked up at Jace, an open and honest expression in his face. "When I saw you lying there with the medics taking care of you, I really didn't know what to do. The sun was coming up and I... I just ran and hid in an abandoned building. I was too ashamed to even go back to Magnus. I have never lost controls like that since I was a fledgling and then I left you alone..."

Alec' voice caught in his throat and he had to swallow hard before he continued. "I called later the hospital to check if you were alright. I couldn't answer Magnus' calls or texts, I was just too ashamed and angry with myself. Just when he texted that Camille had kidnapped you, I came back and well. We attacked and found you. But it’s too late, isn't it?"

Alec's gaze was fixed on Jace's, a frown on his face. Jace swallowed visibly and looked away.

"I love you."

Jace’s head snapped around. He opened his mouth as if to answer, but pressed his lips shut a moment later. The words rang strange in his ears, but the warmth that had turned into ice tried to spread again.

_White snow covered in crimson red drops. The howling and whimpering of a dog. His dog, the watchdog he had loved too much and thus had had to die. Red drops on white snow that had turned into a pool of red._

"I love you too." Jace head swirled around again, facing Magnus now who had spoken in a soft but steady voice. Jace swallowed harder.

_Red blood on shiny mirrors, angry screams and yells. Broken bones and bleeding noses._

He still felt the pain in his hand where he had tried to smoothen his fall, the mirror shattering in thousands of tiny, sharp pieces, cutting his hand open. He still bore the scars. Love made you weak, love destroyed. Love made you breakable.

But love also made you alive.

"I love you both, too". The words felt strange on his tongue. Foreign. Terrifying. Right.

Just when the last word had left his mouth he was surrounded by arms.

_Vampire Speed._

Jace rolled his eyes fondly. He let his head roll back and dropped it on Magnus' shoulder and looked down on Alec, who still knelt in front of him.

"'I'm still..." he didn't even know what he was. Mad? Angry? Disappointed? Just hurt? All of it?

"I know and you have every right to be."

"You don't even know what I wanted to say".

"No, but whatever it is you have the right to feel it. I will make it up to you, I swear. My whole life I will make it up to you."

"Rather mine."

Alec ran gently with his thumb over Jace’s bottom lip.

"Let's see about that. We should talk more about what it means to be a Vampire, you have plenty of time to decide if this is really what you want. Before you get old and grey." He added with a wink.

"I would look hot with grey hair."

Alec just laughed lightly, relieved that they were able to joke like that again. He knew he had hurt Jace. That he had gambled with the trust they had established – not on purpose, but he had. He would made it up to him.

"I bet you will,” Alec whispered before he tilted his head upwards to kiss Jace.

  
Jace smiled into the kiss before he turned around to kiss Magnus as well. He still heard his father in the back of his head, but the voice had become less prominent. His decision to give love a chance felt right.

"So we run now two Vampire clans?"

Magnus smiled at the _we._ "It is just one big clan now. We have never been more powerful.”

His eyes darkened when his hand ran over Alec's face, mapping the scars Aldertree's torture had left behind.

“Why did the Shadowhunters torture you, Alec?” Jace had noticed Magnus’ change of mood.

The two Vampires locked eyes briefly at that question, leading yet another silent conversation.

“If you don’t stop doing that I will stab you with my knife. And I have practice now stabbing Vampires with that knife.” Jace couldn’t help the smug expression that settled on his face.

Magnus winked at him, but his eyes were still dark and dangerous.

"Aldertree wanted to send a message. Tell us that he is in charge. That he won’t tolerate any misbehaviour from our side, such as having a mundane as a boyfriend. But today I have revenged one of my lovers, soon I will revenge my other. The time the Shadowhunters can rule us as they please is over. They will pay for what they have done, just as Camille did."

Magnus bent down to kiss Alec possessively, before he turned his attention back to Jace. He nipped lightly at his bottom lip before he deepened his kiss.

"Why don't we go somewhere else, sweetheart?" He practically purred.

Jace huffed out a laugh. "I am still not your sweetheart."

"Oh we will definitely see about that."

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are loved 💙


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